Malcolm Turnbull has offered a bizarre explanation for why he will now allow Coalition MPs to have a free vote on same-sex marriage after the plebiscite, a move that will let them ignore its result.
He says there was “probably not support” for same-sex marriage in the last parliament, on a free vote basis – implying he thinks support for same-sex marriage will increase among parliamentarians after the election.
But he then admitted he does not know what the next parliament will look like.
He encouraged voters not to worry, saying he “knows parliamentarians well enough” to know that they will respect the will of the people – a view that contradicts his original point about MPs in the former parliament.
Turnbull announced on Friday that Coalition MPs would be allowed a free vote after the plebiscite. The decision provoked outrage from opponents of the poll, who said a free vote exposed the pointlessness of the $160m exercise.
Australian Marriage Equality national spokeswoman, Shirleene Robinson, said her organisation had “always supported a free vote in parliament on marriage equality”.
“If the next parliament holds a costly and unnecessary plebiscite on marriage equality and it’s passed, then the Australian people will expect their wishes to be respected,” she said.
The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, questioned the point of the “divisive, wasteful plebiscite” following the free vote announcement.
On the ABC’s 7.30 program on Friday evening, Turnbull was asked why he had changed his mind on a free vote.
He was also asked why he thought a free vote on same sex marriage would get through parliament when many Coalition and Labor MPs have said they would not support one.
Turnbull answered: “Because there was probably not support on a free vote basis for same sex marriage in the last parliament. Of course we don’t know who will be in the next parliament.
“But I know parliamentarians well enough to know this, and I know my colleagues well enough, that if the Australian people vote ‘yes’ in a plebiscite for same sex marriage, and I will be encouraging them to vote ‘yes’, and I’ll be voting ‘yes,’ as will Lucy, I have no doubt it will sail through the parliament.
“That is the last thing to be concerned about … if that plebiscite is carried, as I believe it will be, the parliament will pass into law legislation which legalises same sex marriage – without any doubt.”
He said he would push ahead with the plebiscite – even though there would be a free vote for parliamentarians - because the Coalition had offered it to voters last year.
“It is thoroughly democratic and every Australian will get a say in it, and I’m very confident that the plebiscite will be carried,” he said.
“And I think the argument that [Bill] Shorten makes, that the Australian people can’t be trusted to have a civil conversation and a decent and respectful conversation about this is really, he’s really selling the Australian people short. He’s not giving Australians credit.”
